Hi, I'm considering buying an airbrush. I have seen many different posts by different people about what color or brand of paint they like to use. So I went back and read a thread and here are two different paints I'm going to try for use as the O/R color: Badger Frisco Orange And a mixture of Scalecoat Santa Fe red and yellow. I flipped through my Walthers catalog and noticed a few different brands of paint. What are some other good choices for an O/R color for both new out of the shop (like what atlas uses) and what's been on the road for a while (I'm not afraid to try mixing.) I want to try more than one paint so I can chose which one I like the best. and does it need to be thinned to be used with an air brush. Also what makes a good white? Reefer white? Thanks Ethan
I can't speak for Frisco Orange, but I'm using Scalecoat II. I've seen first hand what the colors are like with all my cars and I'm happy with it. If I had to suggest a water based paint, then it would need to be Model Flex.
Ethan, another paint you can try is Chevy Orange if they make it in a water based paint. From what I was told. the first EMD Demonstrators were painted in the Chevy Orange and White which is where FRISCO got their paint scheme. Chevy Orange because it was GENERAL MOTORS, when I was told this it made sense to me. So for the O/W scheme, If the FRISCO ORANGE from Badger isnt good, try CHEVY ORANGE and REEFER WHITE. I paint alot of my own locomotives as well and dont model a lot of diesel but, for the ones I have modeled, I used Model Flex, or testors Chevy competition Orange, both are pretty much the same color.
Using the Search function of the forum using the terms Frisco Red, paint, and other related possibilities provides your answer. I could put a list of links to the posts I found, but then you wouldn't get any practice using the search function. Here are some more suggestions: Paint Formula, Chevy Engine Red, Diesel colors, Diesel Paint,
I am not in the basement at the moment so I do not remember the brand, but someone makes Chevy Engine Red, that is the paint you want to use. If like me and you like Floquil, use the SP Daylight RED.
Testors makes two versions of Chevrolet Engine Block Red (red/orange): Model Master Acryl #4629 (water based) Model Master Enamel #2731 (solvent based) Both are excellent, and are very close to the shade we need for Frisco o/w. Ken
I have had good luck with SP Daylight RED as well. I know that Frisco refers to "mandarin orange," but it really does not appear orange at all to me. Also, I have not had good results with acrylic (water-based) paint using an airbrush, although many people say it works very well. My recommendation is a 50-50 mix of Floquil and common lacquer thinner. GS
I'm no Frisco Orange expert, but I can share this with y'all. When I was a conductor on the C&O, I learned one thing from observation: Not all paint is the same color. There are too many variables in mixing paint, meaning different suppliers, different paint shops, different mixes, etc., that affect the slightest hue or tint of the color. Couple that with sun, rain, snow, wind, etc., to coin a phrase: fuh-get-'bout it! I've seen ten CSXT cars known as Big Blue, right from the factory, just delivered and all ten were of a different color hue. The blues did not match. Close, no cigar. That being said, I feel we must remember that just like the real things, model trains are made by humans and variables will exist. It is one thing to have a red vs. orange Frisco side by side, but varying shades of the illusive "Mandarin Orange" are quite prototypical. Besides, I wouldn't say the Frisco took care of their diesels like they did with their steam. I've never seen a clean picture of a Frisco diesel except right after delivery. The rest are all beat to heck and back, rusted and chipped. The perfect O/W doesn't exist.
Okay, I get the insult. Maybe I was a little strong with the beat to heck and back, rusted and chipped. But pictures show that the Frisco diesels were horrible the older they got. As for the O/W, I stand by that. You may come up with a consensus but I don't believe the perfect, replicated, duplicated, consistently applied color exists. I can't believe I'm doing this, but look at this photo of diesels in Springfield, 1980. All types. Not one is identical in hue. It may be the same color, but the hues are all different. Now I will go into my bedroom and repent to God for my stoopidness and my blasphemies...
Okay. My bad. I looked up what that phrase meant and it all said derogatory so I assumed. My bad. I'm not mad or anything. I just don't want to come across as a know it all, always right kind of guy so if I offended Rick or anyone, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to do that. My humblest apologies. Really. I mean that.
